


Sad is the Universe Through my Eyes

by sherlocks_skeletal_warlock



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Angst, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Robot Feels, War flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 16:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13861383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlocks_skeletal_warlock/pseuds/sherlocks_skeletal_warlock
Summary: Peter Walter VI was rarely called in to help Michael Reed look after the automatons. But at 5:30 am with the entire household on edge, this was certainly not a normal maintenance check-up.





	Sad is the Universe Through my Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> My first SPG fic as I recently rediscovered these guys big time! But I'm cruel and I like putting characters through hell, so this is something a little angsty but fluffy. Hope you like it!

This was new, Peter Walter the Sixth mused mournfully, running a hand through his messy ginger hair as he followed Michael Reed down into the first Walter Lab at 5:30 in the morning. It was so unlike Michael to not be able to perform maintenance on the 'bots, but this was different. This was something that only the automatons had dealt with before. As he rounded the corner, thunder rattled the windows of the house and Peter scowled. The storm had woken him too, but he was just starting to drift back off when Michael had worriedly tapped on the wall outside his room.

Rabbit and Hatchworth were stood fretting outside the lab. Rabbit was whimpering softly as she shifted from foot to foot, her head glitching rapidly from side to side. Inside, Peter Six could hear the horrified screams of The Spine; his voice-box cutting out every now and again.

"Petes, he can't understand us, h-h-he doesn't r-r-recognise us right now," Rabbit stuttered, wringing her hands worriedly.

"H-He is so sc-ared," Hatchworth said, his head bowed and Michael bit his lip firmly.

"It must be a horrible flashback; he doesn't seem to recognise anyone. He's been like this since about 4am this morning when the 'bots woke me. Rabbit and Hatchworth have both tried to speak to him, but even on the wireless, he's completely unreachable. I've had to restrain him; his flailing was so bad I thought he was going to damage someone or himself." Michael gave a heavy sigh. "Can you see if you can get through to him? He might trust a Walter."

"If he won't trust himself to know Rabbit, he won't trust me..." argued Peter pitifully, but he was heading through the doorway into the lab even as he spoke, his head turned towards to the slab where The Spine was strapped down.

The silver automaton was a mess, steam venting from his back and his mouth as his green photoreceptors rolled in his head, unseeing. His fists tightened and relaxed spasmodically as he screeched,

"No, please, please, don't hurt them, hurt me instead, don't hurt them!"

Cautiously, Peter approached him, the heavy thuds behind him telling him that the other two automatons had followed.

"The Spine? Spine, can you hear me? It's Peter, Peter Six." The Spine didn't respond, his head twitching from side to side. Rabbit came over, gently petting her brother's wig. Peter had noticed that they had gotten closer since Rabbit's transition. Their bickering had slowed, and she seemed to care for him more.

"It's okay, Spine-y-y-y, it's okay, we're home, we're n-n-not at war anymore."

"Where is he? What is the flashback from?" Peter Six asked softly as Hatchworth remained behind him, huffing sadly.

"Vietnam." The reply was sharp and cold and Rabbit didn't even stutter.

"The Spine, can you hear me? I'm Peter Six. Peter Alexander Walter The Sixth. You're in Walter Manor, San Diego. You're in America, The Spine." He placed himself in front of The Spine purposefully, trying to get his photoreceptors to focus on him, but the automaton was having none of it. He shuttered his photoreceptors and gave a heart-wrenching sob.

"St-top, please, don't lie to me, just don't hurt them, hurt me, tear me apart, just don’t HURT MY FAMILY!" His voice rose into a piercing tone as he desperately struggled against the restraints.

"The Spine, it's Peter Six!" He tried again and in a moment of passion, he tugged off his wooden mask, revealing the blue vortex instead of a face that he owned but The Spine couldn't comprehend it, crying out in horror.

"Helpful." scorned Rabbit, trying to calm her brother by humming.

"Have you reset him?" Peter turned to Michael, embarrassed and suddenly glad that he couldn't blush anymore as he strapped his mask back on. Michael shook his head.

"Every time I got near his reset switch, he freaked out so badly I was afraid to flip it." Even now, The Spine was resisting Rabbit's gentle touch, twitching and twisting away hopelessly, but she had always been stubborn and wouldn't stop her gentle movements.

"It-t-t-t's okay, Spine, we're ok-kay now." Six winced at the worsening in Rabbit's stutter. It always got worse when she fretted. Oil was running down her faceplates and mingling with the oil pouring down The Spine's as he desperately begged, his photoreceptors still not focusing.

"Don't hurt them, please, please, no, no R-Rabbit! Rabbit!"

"It-it's okay, ba-bab-baby b-b-bro, I'm here, I-I'm safe, it's okay," she soothed, pressing her hand to his own but he jerked away fearfully. Six expected Rabbit to recoil but she continued to try and calm him, despite his resistance. He took a deep breath, preparing himself.

"Try and keep his focus on you, Rabbit." Slowly, Six approached, aiming for the reset switch on the side of The Spine's neck, but the automaton clearly feared this as he flattened his head against slab desperately, trying to prevent Six accessing his switch.

"N-No, no, don't, please!"

"It's okay, Spine, I-I-I'm here, b-big sis is h-here." Six grabbed his head and wrestled with him momentarily as The Spine screamed so loud Michael had to clamp his hands over his ears but Six managed to get his fingertips to the switch and The Spine collapsed, his photoreceptors dying out. Hatchworth came to stand beside him, pumping out steam worriedly. Peter held his shoulder.

 

There was a very long silence, punctuated only by the fretful hisses of steam from Rabbit and Hatchworth.

 

Then a shudder ran the length of The Spine's body and his green photoreceptors flickered back on.

"R-Rabbit?" he whimpered and she gripped his hand tightly.

"You are h-home. You are safe." Six breathed a sigh of relief as The Spine gave Rabbit a long, affectionate look before slumping back against the slab.

"Gave us quite the fright there, The Spine," chastised Michael Reed as he began to remove the restraints from around The Spine's ankles, wrists and head and the automaton looked sheepish.

"I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused." The Spine sat upright as Rabbit and Hatchworth pressed into his sides, partly for his comfort, partly for themselves. "Mister Peter Six, sir, I'm-"

"There is no need to apologise, The Spine, just glad you are back with us." The automaton gave a small nod, before wrapping his long arms around his siblings. "Any idea what triggered it?"

"I was awoken by thunder and everything was dark. I suppose I panicked. I admit, I remember very little. I was convinced I was..." The Spine trailed off and Rabbit patted his arm reassuringly.

"BEBOP, diagnostic check on The Spine, please." Six requested, wanting to get to the bottom of the issue before it could occur again.

**Diagnostic check on The Spine initialised. Refrain from movement.**

The automatons remained still as BEBOP completed its check but that didn't stop them looking nervous.

**Diagnostic check on The Spine completed. Error logs indicate errors in sensory receptors triggered by incorrect alignment of spinal column and chassis combined with overwhelm to auditory receptors.**

Peter Six relaxed. "So, the flashback was caused by pain in The Spine's back and the storm passing over. Can I have a look at your spinal column?" he asked The Spine, but the automaton shook his head.

"Not today, Mister Peter Six, I would prefer to remain intact." Six nodded, understanding how shaken the usually stoic automaton was.

"Of course. Perhaps we should head upstairs and get you all some water." It hadn't escaped his notice that the automatons were still producing far too much steam than was healthy for them. 

* * *

 

It took them a little longer than necessary to get upstairs as Rabbit was fussing over The Spine and it was clear that he was in some pain by the slow way he moved up the stairs. Hatchworth followed quietly, his head bowed. Six knew that he probably didn't quite understand what The Spine was going through. He had been in the vault during the Vietnam War but that didn't mean he didn't understand the fact that his older brother was scared in way that he was unused to. Michael Reed brought up the rear, not speaking. As they headed into the kitchen, they passed one of the Walter Girls, Chelsea and she frowned at The Spine who was leaning on Rabbit.

“It’s okay, Chelsea. Just a minor malfunction.” Michael assured her as the automatons settled into chairs around the table. The girl nodded slowly, offered The Spine a reassuring smile and left. Six gave a heavy sigh as he collected water for the three automatons who hadn’t spoken since they had left the lab, but by the occasional head twitches and brow furrows, they had conversed over their internal telecom.

Six was so used to this by now.

Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have a normal life, one where he hadn’t practically been raised by robots; or accidently blown his face off; or had understood advanced mechanics before he understood how to talk to people.

But that was rare. And even now, as they sat in the kitchen, in the quiet aftermath of The Spine’s worst flashback in a long time, Peter knew that he could never actively desire a normal life.

“Wh-at are you th-inking about, Mi-ster Six?” intoned Hatchworth as he downed his water.

“About normality, Hatchworth. And how overrated it is.” He tilted his head and did what felt like smiling, even if Hatchworth could not see that. But considering the small, faint smile that graced The Spine’s rubber lips, the automatons knew that he was.

It was so good to see The Spine smile again, even if it was only slight. Rabbit hadn’t let go of his hand since they had left the lab and it was moments like this that reminded Six that they were twins. All the automatons were connected via their internal telecom but Rabbit and The Spine had always shared something else, something deeper.

A kind of twin symmetry. And despite their bickering and sniping, they had always been there for each other, had always protected each other, had always understood each other. In so many ways, the automatons had more humanity than many humans.

“Gl-glad you still l-l-like us then, you dummins,” teased Rabbit and Six chuckled softly.

“How could I ever dislike any of you? You are my family,” he turned his head straight towards The Spine’s green photoreceptors, “and I would do anything to protect my family.”

That brought a shy, but warm smile to The Spine’s mechanical face.

Finally.


End file.
